Erik Pieters must beg Carlos Corberan to allow him West Brom exit in January after another brutal decision v Leeds United
West Brom defender Erik Pieters has swiftly become an unfortunate afterthought at The Hawthorns and he may beg Carlos Corberan to let him quit for good in January after another brutal snub against Leeds United.
Grady Diangana’s goal saw the Baggies move within three points of fourth-placed Leeds in the Championship with a 1-0 win over their playoff rivals at The Hawthorns on Friday (29 December).
The DR Congo attacker struck in the first half of a tight, breathless affair against a Leeds side who now have just one win in their past five games.
The result means West Brom cemented their position in the Championship play-off places, now sitting five points from seventh-placed Sunderland heading into 2024 after registering their second successive win.
It was a dogged and solid defensive display from the Baggies up against the most devastating attack in the division and Corberan needed three of his four centre-halves in Cedric Kipre, Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley to nullify the Whites’ threat.
However, one player who has become an unfortunate afterthought in recent weeks and will feel he could have contributed heavily to the Baggies’ resurgence is former Stoke defender Pieters who was brutally snubbed again on Friday night.
The 35-year-old has now been resigned to a place on the bench for West Brom in their last 10 Championship games with his last appearance coming in the 1-0 win over Coventry City on 30 November.
Pieters was a firm favourite for Corberan in the early stages of the season but has since had to watch on as the likes of Kipre, Ajayi and Bartley get minutes ahead of him.
Such a situation surely spells the beginning of the end for Pieters at The Hawthorns, given both his age and the fact his contract will expire at the end of the season [Transfermarkt].
A January exit may not occur given his experience and usefulness if injuries crop up at the back again, but the former Stoke City man will be more than willing to beg Corberan to let him quit to gain first-team opportunities elsewhere.
Given the form and fitness of the three defenders ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s incredibly uncertain to predict when the Baggies veteran will start again in a West Brom shirt.
In other West Brom news, a lack of any update on the takeover situation could prove a cause for concern.